diff --git a/dtool/src/dtoolutil/dSearchPath.cxx b/dtool/src/dtoolutil/dSearchPath.cxx
index c17b3d61ec..b8c388c804 100644
--- a/dtool/src/dtoolutil/dSearchPath.cxx
+++ b/dtool/src/dtoolutil/dSearchPath.cxx
@@ -242,6 +242,10 @@ get_directory(size_t n) const {
  */
 Filename DSearchPath::
 find_file(const Filename &filename) const {
+  if (filename.empty()) {
+    return string();
+  }
+
   if (filename.is_local()) {
     if (_directories.empty()) {
       // Let's say an empty search path is the same as a search path
diff --git a/panda/src/express/virtualFileSystem.cxx b/panda/src/express/virtualFileSystem.cxx
index 3d02eed6a8..0092d9943e 100644
--- a/panda/src/express/virtualFileSystem.cxx
+++ b/panda/src/express/virtualFileSystem.cxx
@@ -649,6 +649,10 @@ find_file(const Filename &filename, const DSearchPath &searchpath,
     return get_file(filename, status_only);
   }
 
+  if (filename.empty()) {
+    return nullptr;
+  }
+
   int num_directories = searchpath.get_num_directories();
   for (int i = 0; i < num_directories; ++i) {
     Filename match(searchpath.get_directory(i), filename);